Victor Wembanyama Would 'Alleviate' Magic Defensive Woes

The Orlando Magic's defense would go completely nuclear if Victor Wembanyama joined the team.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2023

Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is a little over two weeks away from learning if the team will grab the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row.

The Magic certainly hopes history can repeat itself to pair Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero with French phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Should Wembanyama join the Magic, it would certainly raise the team's ceiling and expectations, but how does he make Orlando better?

"Victor Wembanyama's career 30.7 percent clip from three doesn't technically address the Orlando Magic's largest offensive void," Bleacher Report writes. "That's fine. There's evidence this could change over time. His outside volume is valuable on its own (5.1 attempts per game), and he converted 83.4 percent of his free throws this past season.

"Adding Wembanyama alleviates their biggest defensive weakness: actual rim disruption. Orlando didn't let opponents reach the hoop often but surrendered a bottom-three clip whenever they did. Wembanyama's rotations and 3.1 blocks per game instantly nip that in the bud."

Teams wouldn't drive on the Magic often, likely because Orlando boasts one of the tallest and longest teams in the league, but adding Wembanyama would put more pressure on the perimeter. It would turn the Magic's defense from stingy to superior.

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Published Apr 30, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.